在线答疑Prepare for IELTSASK THE EXPERT

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星期五，2014年07月18日

Sometimes i feel nervous to talk clearly and fluently to the examiners,even i may have prepared for that for a long time,,so how can i improve my spoken English? And is there any better and more effective ways to enlarge my vocabulary?

Kishore： It is natural to be nervous in this situation. You need to develop your confidence, and this confidence will come from practising your English speaking and communication. Preparation is important but it needs to be the right type of preparation. This also applies to enlarging your vocabulary - I'd suggest these steps: when you learn new vocabulary do not just learn a translation, thibk about all the other elements you need to be able to use this vocabulary (eg the pronunication, the grammar/part of speech, the collocation ie which words this goes with, any synonyms or antonyms etc); read/listen to English as widely as possible, this will help you pick up new vocabulary in context; regularly brainstorm vocabulary in themes or topics like travel, feelings etc - it is always easier to remember and use new vocabulary if you learn/remember this in relation to a subject or theme.

星期五，2014年07月18日

hi.Mr.Roy.Is it always neccesary to give reasons for you answers in speaking？

Kishore： Good question. This depends on the part of the test, but in general it is useful to give reasons for your answers, it helps you extend your answers. This is less important in Part 1, more important in Part 3, and sometimes relevant in Part 2 (usually included in the bullet points if this is so). Doing this also allows you to demonstrate your signposting skills - these are very important for coherence - such as "I think this is due to the fact that ......."

星期五，2014年07月18日

I always can not finish reading test in the given time because I read all passage before answer questions.I make more mistakes if I read part of the passage. Shall I change my reading method?

Kishore： I'd suggest you change your reading method, yes.
It takes too much time to read the whole passage first before answering questions. it is better to identify and read the topic sentences first - this will give you an idea of the theme of each paragraph. The topic sentence is usually the first sentence in a paragraph (75% of time) or the last sentence in the paragraph. Then analyse the questions carefully, look for key words, and guess where you will find the answers. Do not start reading from the beginning of the passage. You should have an idea of which paragraph you will find the specific answer.
Don’t worry if you do not understand all the words – you may not need to understand everything.

星期五，2014年07月18日

I felt too nervous to talk naturally and fluently as usual when I meet native speaker in speaking test because I am not confident.Could you give me advice?Thanks

Kishore： This is understandable. It is not easy speaking in a foreign language.
The best way to develop confidence is through practice. Remember you can practice speaking, even by yourself, on as many different topics as possible. Talk for one minute, then make it 2 minutes, then increase again and again.
Also, make sure you learn the right aspects of speaking, see these videos to give you a comprehensive insight: http://www.chinaielts.org/guide/band_descriptors_speaking.shtml

In writting task 2, question like "What are the advantages and disadvantages relates to this topic", do you have to state your own opinion in the essay?? Thanks

Kishore： Simple answer - yes, you are expected to state your opinion. For example, you could say that, in your opinion, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, or the opposite, or that they two are equal.

星期五，2014年09月19日

hi, kishore,nice to meet you here.I just graduated from high school and i want to go abroad for futher study.I stareted perparing the IELTS Test these days.My targer is to get a band of 7 to 8.Can you give me some advice on improving my speaking and writing please?It's hard to find opportunities to practice my spoken English in our university .How can i make progress in the two aspects with a relatively tight schdule? I feel it difficult to strike a balance between my regular courses and IELTS Test preparation.Do you have any suggestions?I also need some advice on expanding my range of vocabulary.

星期五，2014年09月19日

The first time I took part in the exam，I got 6 in written work.But the second time I got5.5 in writing.I don't know why，because the method I prepare it is the same as the first time.I want to know what I should do and how I take exercise now to prepare my third time exam in October 26.

Kishore： Hi. The slight difference in those writing scores can happen - there could be any number of reasons, perhaps your ideas and arguments were not quite as strong in the second exam, perhaps you made a few more grammatical or vocabulary-related mistakes. I cannot say for sure. In terms of preparation, I suggest you look through all the videos here to understand precisely what is expected in the writing test, and also learn the tips that are suggested ?http://www.iqiyi.com/v_19rrhtfbv4.html. Also look at the writing section on Road to IELTS where you will have the chance to practice some techniques. Good luck!

星期五，2014年09月19日

I am very confused about how to use "-"symbol. For example, "low-risk investment". Will I loose mark if I write "low risk investment "?

Kishore： You would not lose any marks for this specific example. It is difficult to generalise so I cannot say this will always happen in all cases.

i will have the speaking exam this sunday and i am very afriad of being asked a difficult question in part2.help!TAT

Colin： Just remember that the IELTS speaking test is about communicating. It’s okay to pause, hesitate, start again, make small mistakes… Just focus on communicating YOUR ideas to the examiner. Best of luck!

星期五，2014年10月31日

How can I improve my listening ability?

Colin： If you can work with a good teacher the following might be easier…the different task types assess different listening skills such as listening for main ideas and listening for detail. Find out what you are already good at and what you need to improve in. There are a variety of different listening sub-skills so it’s good to find out which are your strengths and areas for development… oh of course you need to practice listening too! Visit learnEnglish.britishcouncil.org.cn for different listening activities.

星期五，2014年10月31日

Hi colin, m I late? Can you help me with my writing problem? I feel blank when dealing with writing task 2..it is really difficult for me to generate a 150 words...I don't know what to start ,how should I expand my answer? Help me please

Colin： Hello!
You need to spend some time brainstorming ideas. So the fact that you are thinking about generating ideas is good thing!
First thing to do is read the topic and then understand it. Then on a piece of paper or the question paper, make notes about any ideas that come to mind. You can increase your ideas by looking at the question from different perspectives…what might an older or very young person say? What ideas are there from a(n) economic/environmental/political/society perspective etc.? When you have some ideas you need to organise them. You need to practise generating and organising your ideas. Practice is important.
Look at our online prep course www.roadtoIELTS.com for more ideas on generating ideas.

星期四，2014年10月30日

Hi colin, from your opinion, what kind of key facts I need to be ware of for the preparation of IELTS listening test? I found i can easily get lost during the test...not easy to concentrate on the content for me....

Colin： Hello!
You need to remember that the test is designed with lots of places to start again (section 1, section 2 etc.). Also remember that the test is designed so that you can answer question 5 without knowing the answer to question 4, for example.
Spend the silent time, reading the tasks and doing two things: predicting possible answers (and then listening to check or reconfirm your ideas); predicting possible paraphrases of the words in the question. If you are getting lost it helps to listen for paraphrases (similar words) that are used in the questions.
And try to relax… if you are getting stressed or anxious, you won’t be able to listen as well as you can… keep breathing!